When the Sun dances with the Moon
by Amarylle
Summary: What happens when Luna Lovegood befriends Hermione Granger, and they plan to end the reign of Voldemort, oppose Dumbledore, and take the world by storm? Pure unadulterated chaos. Dark!Hermione & Dark!Luna, however not necessarily Evil. Pairings undecided.
1. An Irresistible Deal

**Disclaimer:** The wonderful world of Harry Potter and the canon characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am only borrowing them to write for my and other people's enjoyment, without any intention of profiting from it. I thank this talented lady for blessing us with such a rich ground to build up our creativity on!

* * *

Luna Lovegood thought that the magical world was a strange one.

Witches and wizards had all these wondrous abilities to explore, but they let most of them fall to the wayside in favour of greed and power. Their society was as fabricated and backwards, as Gilderoy Lockhart's obviously fraudulent accomplishments, or Albus _twinkle-twinkle little star_ Dumbledore's pseudo grandfatherly theatrics.

Ever since she was a wee little girl, Luna could always see and feel what others ignored or waved off as childish make-believe. At first, she went out of her way to prove herself against the hurtful disbelief her peers projected at her, but over the years, she had learned to accept that the world will only believe what they _want_ to believe, and the _truth_ rarely mattered.

Luna had quickly become well-versed in how to defend her delicate sensibilities, by adopting an air of nonchalance about the teasing quips and the mocking jibes that remarked that she was _'looney'_. Even her House mates had taken to bullying her, which she could not help but feel disappointed about.

 _Ravenclaws were supposed to be intelligent and witty, weren't they?_

"Look, it's _Looney Lovegood_ _,_ " a group of girls cackled with malice, as Marietta Edgecombe had _'accidentally'_ ruined Miss Lovegood's completed assignments, and _'clumsily'_ spilled her inkwell. " _Oopsie_. I'm such a _klutz._ I suppose that your _Crumpled-Hat Sockrag_ will help you out with your _unfortunate_ predicament."

These remarks were usually spiced with audible sniggering and a few pitying looks directed at her from the more sensible Ravenclaws, but no one, not even the Prefects stood up for the blonde first year. They remained quiet in their comfortable _'there is no way in hell that I will get in the middle of that'_ bubble.

It surely did not help Luna's case when she corrected Marietta, and told her that it was _'Crumple-Horned Snorkack'_ , and not a _'Crumpled-Hat Sockrag'_ , complimenting her on her faith that such a creature existed instead, jubilant that she was well on her way towards becoming a _true believer_.

The third year's face reddened with anger, and a _Stinging Hex_ was suddenly flying towards Luna, which she had easily evaded, her pale moonlight coloured eyes darkening slightly, but her adversaries missed the subtle change in her mood and aura.

The little blonde witch may have appeared to be taking everything in stride with her big innocent eyes and angelic face, but what no one realized was that she simply let herself be underestimated.

Luna was an incredibly perceptive girl, and she understood that to eventually have the upper-hand, she needed to think like a Slytherin, laying low and quietly _observing_ people, thus she watched the snakes and absorbed every little nuance about their behaviour that she could. She watched their gestures, where their eyes flickered longer than necessary, who they talked to, and how they conducted themselves in social situations.

She noticed they had different masks for different scenarios, and they used them accordingly, so she developed her air of nonchalance, and kept up her childlike innocence in public. Only when she was alone did she drop these masks, her silver eyes freezing into cold steel, and her curiosity fading into an icy chill.

She was angry that they lived such _lies_ , and she wanted to change that. She wanted to bring truth into the world. She wanted the _Old Ways_ to surface from the depths of wherever they had fallen between the cracks. She yearned for the freedom of magic, _all_ of magic.

Luna softly exhaled as she observed the high table from her lonely seat in the Great Hall, and she could not help but wonder if Professor Snape's ever-present sneer was as much of a practiced necessity, as Minerva McGonagall's thinly pressed lips, or Professor Flitwick's air of almost disturbingly blissful delight that he carried himself with.

Her pale eyes trailed over to the Gryffindor table, and focused on the _Golden Trio_. If only people realized how _false_ that moniker really was, no doubt they would be stunned beyond words.

Harry Potter was not the hailed hero that the wizarding public believed him to be. He was simply a _neglected child_ with an unquenchable thirst for love and affection, that he was looking to get from the _wrong_ person. Ronald Weasley was nothing more than a jealous little boy, whom she had no doubt would turn on _'his best friend'_ at the first opportunity, his loyalty as fickle as Veela allure.

Luna saddened as her gaze lingered on Hermione Granger. How could anyone think she was an equal member in that fabled friendship trio was beyond her. The bushy-haired witch's eyes reflected so much loneliness, that her heart dropped into her stomach. It was an eerily familiar emotion that greeted her like an unwelcome friend.

Their eyes connected for a moment, and the Gryffindor's expression had become guarded as she looked down at her half-eaten breakfast, toying with a piece of bacon and toast.

Miss Lovegood hummed to herself, and decided that she would talk to the second year witch, and offer a genuine hand of friendship. There was no question that the muggleborn was bright, perhaps even the brightest witch she had ever met around their age group, and she lived in a tower full of Ravenclaws.

She would bet her thirty galleons that the _Sorting Hat_ had considered to place Miss Granger with her House, before sorting her to join the lions. That had to mean that even though she was brilliant, she was also reckless, feisty, brave, and she had a good sense that the girl was loyal to the fault of blindly following those, whom she should _not_ give the time of day.

Luna supposed she could explain some things Hermione ought to know to become more aware of who she puts her faith in, because she could already tell that _Headmaster Twinkle-Star_ had an agenda, and she would noz want to see the witch harmed or manipulated. She looked terribly naïve.

The little blonde had spent her morning wandering the castle, and pondering the best way to approach the witch, when the opportunity simply presented itself, like a golden goose on a silver tray. Granger was comfortably snuggled into one of the far corners of the Library, sitting cross-legged on an arm-chair, a stack of books nesting between her thighs, as her eyes greedily scanned the pages for words of wisdom.

Luna grinned inwardly at the sight, and practically floated over to the witch, peeking at the title of the book she was currently holding, her blonde brows raising in surprise.

"Are you interested in acquiring a house-elf?" she asked curiously, her voice light and friendly.

Hermione was so startled by the airy voice, that she almost dropped the tome. Her breath hitched in her throat, and she exhaled slowly to calm herself. She looked up at the blonde first year with a confused look in her eyes, " _Excuse me?_ " she echoed politely.

Luna smiled inwardly at the adorable sight in front of her. Hermione Granger looked like a disgruntled kitten, whose ball of yarn was slightly moved to the left, or the right, _well–_ it did not really matter which direction really, what mattered was that she got distracted from her routine, and her version of confused irritation was rather endearing.

"Are you interested in acquiring a house-elf?" Luna repeated her question, gesturing to the book Hermione was reading.

Miss Granger's eyes widened in shock, and she looked affronted. "I'm certainly not interested in acquiring a slave," she scrunched up her nose in disgust. "I'm reading to see if I can gather information about how to effectively free them from their misery," she explained with an indignant huff.

There was an unreadable gleam in Luna's eyes as she stared at the witch. "I have a house-elf, and she"s treated with utmost respect, like a member of my family. Are you saying that just because you come from a society that is different from ours, that you know better what a magical race needs and wants, than those who lived their whole lives in the magical world?" she asked solemnly. "That is awfully arrogant. Calling a house-elf a slave is no better than Malfoy and his goons calling you the derogative word for muggleborns. Are you aspiring to be like them? _Are you a bully, Hermione Granger?_ "

Hermione was shocked beyond words. She froze at the accusation, and thick salty tears were pooling in the corner of her eyes. Never in a million years would she have thought herself to be accused of being a bully, even if it was not her intention to be.

Luna felt a lump in her throat at reducing the other girl to tears, but she felt that it was necessary to educate her on some facts of life, before she went and insulted the house-elves, not to mention before she made a complete and utter arse out of herself in the eye of the whole student body, and the traditional pureblood elite would feel further justified in their fight for blood-purity.

The curly-haired witch wiped her eyes with her sleeves, and swallowed. "I don't appreciate being called a bully, Miss Lovegood. I was bullied and discriminated against all my life, either for being a _bushy-haired, bucktoothed know-it-all_ , or being a _filthy mudblood,_ " her voice quivered. "I had no intention of insulting the house-elves. It's just––when I was purchasing my school supplies, I saw a wizarding family abuse their elf, and I was appalled that everyone simply walked by, like nothing remotely untoward had happened, like it was the norm." She paused to take a deep breath. "It's revolting. I wanted to see if I can change that," she mumbled quitely, looking completely dejected.

Luna swallowed her emotions, and knelt next to Hermione, placing a soothing hand on her arm. "Look, I know that I was harsh, but you needed to realize that just because you think something is wrong, doesn't necessarily mean the wizarding society agrees with that. I am not saying that _I_ agree with our society, because _it's nuttier than a Kneazle on catnip_ , but you need to make an effort to learn our customs and traditions if you want to fit in with us, otherwise no one will ever take you seriously. If you went ahead and created some sort of club for freeing the house-elves, not only would you have insulted their honour and lifestyle, the whole of Hogwarts would have had another reason to pick on you, furthermore you would have played into the hands of the traditional purebloods, rather seamlessly might I add," she explained tenderly.

Hermione looked into a pair of eyes that were so full of kindness, that she realized the witch was simply looking out for her, and she had appreciated that more than she could express.

She gave her a small watery smile, "You know, you're the first person to even mention I should educate myself on wizarding customs and traditions to fit in. It's like no one really cares about those of us who come from muggle families. Ever since I stepped on _Platform Nine and Three Quarters_ , I was met with rejection in some shape or form. Even Harry and Ron needed a troll as an excuse to be friendly with me," she snorted bitterly. "Sometimes I can't help but feel that they only want me around to do their homework."

Lovegood nodded sadly. "I'm not saying this to upset you further, but that's probably true. I've been observing the students and Professors, since the beginning of term, and I have to say that there are a lot of mind games at play," she frowned. "Even those who we as students should be able to trust implicitly seem completely dubious. And then there are those who at first glance inspire fear, then appear to be more than what they seem."

Hermione furrowed her brows. "Who are you talking about?"

Luna simply smiled. "I have a proposal for you, Hermione Granger," she said in a sing-a-song voice. "I'll teach you everything I think you need to know about the wizarding world to navigate it seamlessly, and in turn you take your time and observe your surroundings instead of blindly trusting everything and everyone at face value," she grinned. "We can discuss your findings later. What do you say? Do we have a deal?"

A lazy smile curled into the corners of Hermione's lips as she realized what this wonderful witch was really offering her. She was offering her a way into understanding this backwards society, while inspiring her to hone in on her people skills, and make some deductions for herself.

"Luna Lovegood, this might be the start of a beautiful friendship," she beamed, her tears long forgotten, as the promise of a new thrill hung in the air between the girls.

* * *

 **A/N:** I am intrigued by the idea of Luna and Hermione taking the world by storm. They will oppose both the Dark Lord and Dumbledore, with plans to take over with their ideals in focus.

The girls will be Dark, but not necessarily evil. We will see what happens next though as the plot progresses.

Updates will come as the inspiration waves hit. Blame my Muse for all the different stories. -Sigh- I even have another one in works, where Hermione's name pops out of the Goblet instead of Harry's, but I am trying hard not to start that yet, because this is madness.

Anyways, thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed the premise, and the chapter!


	2. Observing Senses

Hermione sighed, as she sat under the shade of a towering beech tree, near the edge of Black Lake, which was her favourite relaxing spot on the Hogwarts grounds. She came here to either study, read, or simply escape from all the inane boy talk, that Harry and Ron engaged in.

The young witch was disheartened to realize that even though the troll incident last year had forged a camaraderie between the three of them, and they talked, and sometimes studied together, she wasn't entirely accepted by the wizards, and it showed. Whenever she and Ronald had an argument, Harry always took the redheaded boy's side, and it did not seem to matter whether he was right, or wrong.

They also did not seem to understand that she was a girl, not another boy. Their occasional rough-housing that they involved her in made her wince, as her female anatomy was particularly sensitive in certain places, and definitely not well equipped for boy bonding. It irritated, and annoyed her that they did not have the common sense to be gentler with her, however she remained quiet.

Her sense of self-preservation, and keeping up the pretense of being content with the situation as is, was more of a Slytherin trait, than a Gryffindor value, but she could not help it. When she put the Sorting Hat on, it had a long muttering monologue, pondering where to place her.

" _Ah, Miss Granger, you have a very intriguing mind, indeed." The Sorting Hat chimed, and she was so startled by the foreign presence in her head, that she almost toppled off the stool she had to sit on to be sorted._

 _She had so many questions and thoughts flooding her, that the tattered headpiece chuckled._

" _Calm down, Miss Granger, I cannot focus on sorting you properly, if you are fretting over how it is possible that an old worn-down piece of fabric shaped into a hat can talk and think for himself." The magical artifact chided her softly, but then a feeling of unbelievable warmth had engulfed her, as the object explained its origins. "You see, the noble Founders; Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin combined their magical essences, and their strikingly different personalities, and created me. I am their magical echo, if you will, with the ability to see which House would benefit the students the most. The Founders firmly believed in you younglings needing like-minded companions to bloom, and grow into your magical abilities."_

 _Hermione's breath hitched, as she learned something new, and she couldn't help but ask a question that she was curious about. "Did they name you? I highly doubt you enjoy being referred to as 'Hat'." She thought mentally._

 _The Sorting Hat was merry with mirth. "I knew you were precious, Miss Granger. Yes, I do have a name, but few bother to ask. In fact, you are the first to do so, since the time Professor Snape was a student himself."_

 _The twelve year old's eyes widened slightly in surprise, which might have seemed comical to those, who were watching her sorting. "I can't believe people aren't curious about you." She mumbled._

" _Well, not everyone is as inquisitive as you are, Miss Granger, and the youth is usually anxious to join their House, which reminds me that I should not be entertaining you with fabled tales of my creators, but sort you."_

" _Wait!" She pleaded softly. "Will you please tell me your name? I would like to know."_

" _Very well, Miss Granger. My given name is Ezeriah."_

" _That would mean your essence is masculine, is it not?" She hummed, as her mind quickly analyzed the name. "Very fitting that the Founders bestowed upon you a name, that means 'all-knowing'." She mused._

" _You are certainly perceptive, and you have a bright, inquisitive mind. Your thirst for knowledge - both forgotten and told - would serve you well in Ravenclaw, indeed." He muttered, and paused for a few moments, scanning her further. "You have ambition to spare, and underneath it all are layers upon layers of resourceful cunning. You have the mind of a trickster, Miss Granger, and that would benefit you in Slytherin, quite effectively well."_

 _She flinched, and Ezeriah sighed. "You are quite the hard working honey-bee, and possess the determination to prevail against all odds, but you would not be happy in Hufflepuff, I can tell."_

 _Hermione furrowed her brows, and was about to ask why ever not, but Ezeriah pushed on. "Ah, your will is strong, and whenever life brings you down, you bravely march onwards, like the fiercest lioness protecting her cubs."_

 _The frizzy-haired girl blinked. "Ah, hm, yes, well." The Hat mumbled to himself. "It better be Gryffindor!" He sang out loud, and the relief was visible on her face, as she went to join her new House mates._

She remembered her elation at joining the nest of the lions, and her disappointment still tasted bitter in her mouth, when she thought about how even her own House mates picked on her, and alienated her, as soon as she opened her mouth in their classes.

 _Weren't Gryffindors supposed to inspire loyalty to one another?_

Apparently being a bibliophile, and incessantly waving her arms to answer the Professors' questions, was as annoying here, as it was in her non-magical school. After a few weeks of being treated like she was merely a living-breathing encyclopedia, she tried to reign in her need to prove herself worthy to be here, but she was already the resident _know-it-all bookworm_ , and nothing was going to change that, thus she simply tuned out the remarks, and spent even more time in the Library.

Being friendly with Harry and Ron did little to build up her confidence, as she just could not shake that they only tolerated her, because she lied for their sake, and now they had someone to help them with their coursework.

She was somewhat closer to Harry, but she did not feel secure in their friendship, because he simply dropped her company, whenever Weasley opened his mouth. She often thought that Potter was no better than an attention-seeking puppy when it came to his desire for Ron's acceptance and affection, but then she felt terribly guilty for feeling that way.

She closed her eyes briefly, and exhaled softly. Her mind was in shambles, since Luna Lovegood approached her a few days ago. Hermione found it hard to concentrate on anything other than what they have discussed. The small blonde witch both intrigued, and intimidated her. She had taken to studying her, along with the whole school, and she had noticed things that thoroughly shocked her.

The brunette witch realized that Luna was an infinitely more complex character, than what their peers had assumed at first glance. With her eyes open, she had the brainwave to also attempt to send out small magical tendrils to aid her observing skills, and what she _saw_ , and _felt_ around the first year had astounded her. She had become conscious of the fact that Miss Lovegood was _powerful_. She got the sense that she had a very bright magical core, still expanding.

Hermione smiled when she noticed that even though Lovegood was a Ravenclaw, she seemed to hide both her curiosity, and the depth of her intelligence under the persona that she projected outwards. Her eyes trailed her gaze, and she watched her observe the Slytherins, which naturally prompted her to do the same.

This made her realize that the Slytherins were incredibly private people. Their faces seemed to hold the same detached expression, and she barely witnessed a flicker of identifiable emotion on their faces, that could reveal anything of their true feelings, or thoughts. It was like they were groomed to hide themselves from the world.

There were a few lower-year Slytherins, who had trouble with keeping their impassive masks on, namely Draco Malfoy, and his hanger-ons, _Crab Apple_ , and _Gooseberry_. The platinum blond wizard had a temper that rivaled Ronald Weasley's, and he had some _serious daddy issues_. When she scanned him with her magical senses, she was intrigued to find that his core barely flickered, and she wondered _why_ that was, and if she sensed it right, or he was obscuring himself from curiosity.

She got the impression, that Malfoy's lackeys had some sort of mental blocks, but she could tell that they had physical strength, and could pack a magical punch, if they trained.

Hermione briefly wondered how she was suddenly able to get a magical read on her peers, but she waved it off as her eyes being _truly opened_ by someone, who could eventually turn out to be a genuine friend.

She continued with observing the Gryffindors next, and she was disappointed to find that she could read their emotions as easily, as her precious books. This made her feel highly uncomfortable. _Was she also this ridiculously obvious to read as well? That had to change._

Her further observations about Harry and Ronald surprised her, and made her feel betrayed. She noticed that the two wizards seemed to have a brighter smile when she was not around them, and there was a slight strain in the air, when she joined them. Hermione realized that the only time the boys were genuinely happy to have her around was when they had to study, or when they forgot to do an assignment, and she was there to quickly solve their problem.

She swallowed her tears, and pretended not to notice the truth, donning a mask of obliviousness, that she supposed would serve her well in the future.

 _If there was one skill she learned from the Slytherins, it was subterfuge._

She had the opportunity to test how unconcerned she could appear to be yesterday, when Malfoy and his bootlickers had accosted her.

 _Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had gleefully blocked her way, with malicious smirks on their faces. Hermione hugged her books tighter against her chest, and relaxed her mind, getting ready for the insult storm that would inevitably follow._

" _Where do you think you are going, mudblood?" Ferret boy asked snobbishly. "Don't you know that you need our permission to even breathe the same air that we do?"_

 _Hermione's eye twitched with annoyance, as she attempted to push past the morons, with an exasperated huff._

 _Crab Apple, and Gooseberry forcibly pushed her, and she fell to the ground, landing on her arse with a thud. The three of them sneered, and laughed at her, while Malanga's wand was drawing a pattern in the air, shooting a string of mud at her face, clothes, and books._

 _She blinked and sputtered, as the elected spokes-wizard of the Fruit Bowl Squad decided that he had something to say._

" _Finally you know your place, mudblood." He snickered, as he twirled his wand between his fingertips. "It's really a shame that Potty and his pet Weasel side-kick aren't here to see your natural state. Muddy, and prostrate in front of our feet, like all the filthy mudbloods deserve to be."_

 _Crab and Goose guffawed, and slapped their boss on the back, as a sign of a good job done._

 _Hermione wiped the mud from her eyes and mouth, grabbing her wand, and cleaning herself and her books gracefully, then she stared at the three idiots with pity in her eyes._

" _You know, Professor Snape might actually be right when he says that he is surrounded by dunderheads. He just might not realize that the biggest bumbling buffoons in his classroom are his prized Slytherins." She chimed, shaking her head in disbelief._

 _Malfoy's pale face flushed with anger, and he had pointed his wand at her, and his hanger-ons were about to do the same, when a certain Professor just happened to witness the whole scene._

Hermione snickered to herself at the memory of their dumbstruck faces, when _Professor Snape_ actually deducted House points from them. Granted, he also took points from Gryffindor, _for her cheek_ , but she thought that was a small price to pay for her amusement.

She paid more attention to the Slytherin Head after that incident, and subtly observed him in the Great Hall. She realized that his face was stoic, and his gestures seemed unnaturally practiced, like he was functioning on autopilot. He was stiff, and way too attentive. Their eyes connected a couple of times, when she watched him, and even though that chilled her to the bone, she did not stop. She sent out her magical tendrils, and her eyes widened slightly, when he did the same to her.

They scanned each other carefully, and after a few seconds, they mutually withdrew. She realized that her Potions Professor was definitely more than what he seemed. His magical core was brighter, than any other she had sensed so far, yet there was a darkness in him that made her stomach churn.

This particular event was what drove her out of the castle to have some fresh air. She hoped Professor Snape would not seek her out over her actions, because that would be an awkward situation, that she did not wish to participate in.

She heard footsteps in the distance, and looked up, only to have the colour rapidly draining from her face. There was the saying _'When you think positive, good things happpen.'._ Well, Hermione Granger could attest that the opposite was just as true.

She thought negative, and something _very bad_ was about to happen: Severus Snape was fast approaching, his black robes cascading around him, like obsidian mist, and she panicked.

* * *

 **A/N:** Plot twist? What will happen next, I wonder. Any guesses?

Thank you for reading, and the interest the first chapter received. I appreciate it! :)


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